Brake.



No. 821,211- PATENTED MAY 22, 1906 R. L. ALCORN.

BRAKE.

APPLICATION nun mm: 2, 1905.

p'nrrnn ROBERT L. ALCORN, or ONEIDA, rennin-sens,

ASSIG-hlUrt OF ONE-HALF TO J. T. SMITH, OF UNELDA, TENNESSEE.

BRAKE.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented May 22, 1906'. I

Application filed June 2,1905. Serial llo. 263,460.-

. following is a specification.

This invention relates to vehicle-brakes, and is especially designed with. reference to wagons, the primary object of the invention being to provide a brake the mechanism and supporting-frame of which are carried by. and

supported upon the hounds of the runninggear and also connected with the sand-board of one of the axles, so that all liability of the brake as a whole working loose and dropping to the ground is entirely overcome and the brake adapted to act with equal effect in.

, either direction, or, in other words, irrespec{ tive of the direction of rotation of the wheels whether the wagon is moving forward or backward.

A further object of the invention is to provide a brake carrying and supporting frame and to so mount the brake mechanism therein and thereon that the brake as a whole may be easily and quickly applied. to the runninggear of a wagon or other vehicle, so as to act with reliability and efficiency.

With theabove and other objects in view, the nature of which will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, as herein fully de. scribed, illustrated, and claimed.

In the'accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the run;

ning-gear of a wagon, showing the brake of I this invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a portion of the brake beam, showing its connection with the brakesupporting guide-frame; and Fig. 4 is a cross section through the guide-frame in line with the brake-beam, the latter being shown in elevation.

Like reference-numerals designate corresponding parts in all figures of the drawings.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the sand-board of one of the axles of a wagon, preferably the rear axle, and 2 the usual hounds. In carrying out the present invention I make use of a combined supporting and guiding frame embodying front and rear cross-bars 3 and 4, respectively, connected at their opposite ends by longitudinally-extending parallel iron bars or straps 5, arranged one above the ot at a distance apart equal to the thickness of the cross-bars 3 and 4, the opposite ends of which are bolted, riveted, or otherwise secured between the parallel bars 5, as shown. At each side of the frame one of the bars 5 is provided with an angular or flanged end portion 6, which is fastened firmly to the sand-board 1. Intermediate the parallel bars are parallel braces 7, which extend lengthwise of the wagon and are secured. to the top and bottom of the front and rear cross-bars 3 and 4, respectively. In this way a strong rigid frame is. secured which forms a guide for the brake mechanism to be described and which is connected firmly to the sand-board and which also rests directly upon the hounds. 2, to which it is secured by means of bolts or rivets and clips 8, thereby rendering it impossible for the brake as a whole to become detached from the running-gear of the wagon and to fall downward, and thereby become partially or wholly inoperative. The construction. de-

scribed also adapts the brake mechanism to operate upon the wheels irrespective of the direction. of rotation of the same.

The brake mechanism comprises, essentially, a brake-beam 9, which extends entirely across the guide-frame above described and projects at its ends beyond the'sides of said frame su'lliciently to receive and carry brakeshoes 10, preferably of dovetailed form in cross-section, toenable them to be detachably fitted and retained in correspondingly-shaped holders 11,- secured to the side of the beam adjacent to the walls, as shown. At the point where the brake-beam 9. crosses or passes between the parallel bars 5' said beam, which is ordinarily of wood, is recessed in its top and bottom to receive metal runners 12, substantially U-shaped in cross-section and provided with flanges 13, which are secured firmly to the beam 9. The runners 12 embrace the parallcl bars 5, and thus guide the brake-beam in its lateral movement toward and away from the wheels while also preventing undue and excessive wear.

14 and 15 represent equalizing-levers, the lever 15 being coupled to the beam 9 near one end by means of a yoke or strap 16, while the lever 14 is secured in a similar manner to the opposite end portion of the beam 9 by means of another yoke or strap 17. The levers 14 and 15 are coupled together near the center of the guide-frame by means of another yoke .or strap 18, while the lever 15 is made considerably longer than the lever 14 and extended to form an erating-arm 19. The levers 14 and 15 and the operating-arm 19 work between the parallel bars and the parallel braces 7, and the arm 19 is extended laterally beyond the guide-frame sufficiently to receive pivotally one end of a connectingrod 20, having at one end "an eye 21, which fits over a headed stud or pintle 22, projecting from the extremity of the operating-arm 19. When the ever and the arm 19 are formed of wood, the extremity of the arm 19 is preferably equipped with a ferrule 23 to prevent the same from splitting The opposite end of the connecting-rod '20 is pivotally connected at 24 to the body portion 25 ofa curved or bent hand-lever 26, which is fulcrumed at 27 at 1ts lower end in a clip or bracket 28 on the outer edge of the brakebeam 9, said lever being provided with sockets or ouffs 29 to receive a suitable lever-handle, which may be inserted in or removed from said sockets. Wear or chafe irons 30 may be applied to the brake-levers where they work between the parallel bars of the guide-irame to prevent excessive wear on said levers. It is also preferred to place spaceing-sleeves 31 around the bolts 32, which form the pivots between the levers 14 and 15 and the parallel bars 5, saidspacing-sleeves extending up and down between the parallel bars 5 and preventing the same from bein drawn together farenough to bind upon sai levers, and thereby'interfere with their'free vibratory movements.

The brake hereinabove described is exceedingly simple in construction,freliable in operation, is adapted to work on the wheels with equal efficiency irrespective of the direction of rotation of the wheels, gives great power in operation, and will be found strong and durable in practice. Additional strength is given to the brake as awhole by reason of the fact that a suitable guide-frame is provided for the working dparts of the brake mechanism,

and saidgui \-frame is efficiently supported 1qn the hounds and anchored to the sandoard.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor extension, and 'a hand-operating lever connected to said operating-arm.

- 2. The combination with the runnin -gear of a vehicle, of a guide-frame fastene to a "stationary part of said'running-gearand'comprising upper and lower parallel bars, a brakebeam mounted to slide back andforth between said parallel bars, equalizing -"levers pivotally coupled to each other and to the beam and working between the parallel bars, one of saidlevers having'an operating arI'n-or extension, a hand-lever fulcrumed on the brake-beam, and a connection between said hand-lever and the operating-arm of the brake-lever, substantially as described.

3. The combination with the runnin'g gear of a vehicle, of a guidefra'me fastened to a stationary part of therunning gear andcomprising upper andlower parallel 'bars,"a'bra'ke earn mounted to slide laterally back and forth between said parallel bars, runners -secured to the brakebeam"and embracing the parallel bars, equalizing brake-levers- 'ivot. ally coupled to each other and to the rakebeam, an operatin'g arm forming an extension of one of said brake-levers, and'a handlever operatively connected to "said operating-arm.

4. The combinationwith the ru-nnin -"gear of a vehicle, of a guide-framefastene to a stationary part thereof and "comprising upper and lower parallel bars, certam of which are bolted to the sand-board, abrake-beam mounted to slide between said p'arallel bars, equalizing-levers 1pivotally coupled to each other and to the rake-beam,"an operatingarm forming an extension of one of said brakelevers, and a hand-lever "connected to said operatingarm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. 'ALCORN. I Witnesses:

E. B. SMITH, JNo. DAVIS. 

